Strakonice | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Strakonice Location in the Czech Republic | |
| Coordinates:49°15′41″N13°54′9″E / 49.26139°N 13.90250°E /49.26139; 13.90250 | |
| Country |  Czech Republic |
| Region | South Bohemian |
| District | Strakonice |
| First mentioned | 1243 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Břetislav Hrdlička |
| Area | |
• Total | 34.68 km2 (13.39 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 393 m (1,289 ft) |
| Population (2025-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 22,355 |
| • Density | 644.6/km2 (1,670/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 386 01 |
| Website | www |
Strakonice (Czech pronunciation:[ˈstrakoɲɪtsɛ];German:Strakonitz) is a town in theSouth Bohemian Region of theCzech Republic. It has about 22,000 inhabitants and is located at the confluence of theVolyňka andOtava rivers.
The town's feudal history is closely linked to theKnights Hospitaller. The main landmark of the town is the Strakonice Castle, protected as anational cultural monument. The town has seen rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in the 19th and 20th centuries leading to the loss of many historical buildings and contributing to its modernist appearance. Strakonice is a regional industrial centre, historically known for its engineering and textile industries. It hosts the biennial International Bagpipe Festival.
Strakonice consists of eight municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census):[2]
The name Strakonice is derived from the personal name Strakoň, meaning "the village of Strakoň's people".[3]
Strakonice is located about 51 kilometres (32 mi) northwest ofČeské Budějovice. It lies mostly in the northern tip of theČeské Budějovice Basin, but the municipal territory also extends to theBlatná Uplands on the north and to theBohemian Forest Foothills on the south. The highest point is the hill Velká Kakada at 564 m (1,850 ft) above sea level, located in the southern part of Strakonice's territory.
The town is situated at the confluence of theVolyňka andOtava rivers. There are several fishponds in the area, the largest of which are Velkoholský rybník and Blatský rybník. Among thesmall-scale protected areas in Strakonice areBažantnice u Pracejovic Nature Reserve and theTůně u Hajské Nature Monument.
Strakonice has a cool, wet, andtemperate inland variant of thehumid continental climate (Dfb).
| Climate data for Strakonice | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.8 (33.4) | 2.5 (36.5) | 8.3 (46.9) | 13.5 (56.3) | 18.7 (65.7) | 21.8 (71.2) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.0 (73.4) | 19.2 (66.6) | 13.0 (55.4) | 6.0 (42.8) | 2.4 (36.3) | 12.7 (54.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.3 (27.9) | −1.2 (29.8) | 3.5 (38.3) | 7.9 (46.2) | 12.8 (55.0) | 16.0 (60.8) | 17.8 (64.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 13.7 (56.7) | 8.3 (46.9) | 3.0 (37.4) | −0.3 (31.5) | 8.0 (46.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.4 (22.3) | −4.9 (23.2) | −1.2 (29.8) | 2.4 (36.3) | 6.9 (44.4) | 10.3 (50.5) | 12.0 (53.6) | 11.5 (52.7) | 8.2 (46.8) | 3.7 (38.7) | 0.0 (32.0) | −3.0 (26.6) | 3.4 (38.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 48 (1.9) | 40 (1.6) | 45 (1.8) | 46 (1.8) | 75 (3.0) | 83 (3.3) | 92 (3.6) | 81 (3.2) | 58 (2.3) | 45 (1.8) | 45 (1.8) | 54 (2.1) | 712 (28.0) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org[4] | |||||||||||||
A moated castle on the Otava River was built by the noble family ofBavors of Strakonice at the beginning of the 13th century. The first written mention of the castle is from 1235. The first written mention of the village of Strakonice is from 1243, when the Church of Saint Wenceslaus already existed and the Bavors donated part of the castle and several nearby villages to theKnights Hospitaller of the Order of Saint John. By 1318, Strakonice was already a town.[5][6]
By 1402, the Knights Hospitaller owned the entire castle, including the town and the surrounding estate.[6] In 1420, theHussite commanderJan Žižka occupied Strakonice but failed to capture the castle. Strakonice Castle underwent an extensive reconstruction in the 16th century, becoming a representative residence for the Order's Grand Priors. Subsequent alterations were minor. After theThirty Years' War, the castle lost its significance.[5][6]
The town was industrialised during the course of the 19th century. In the 1860s, a railway line connectingČeské Budějovice andPlzeň via Strakonice was built, which spurred its economic development.[5]
Strakonice experienced its greatest population growth between 1950 and 1980, when the town's population nearly doubled as a result of further industrialisation, particularly atČeská zbrojovka Strakonice and Fezko. Theconsolidation of agriculture andrapid urbanisation during the communist era helped make Strakonice one of the fastest growing towns in the region.[7]
Historical population | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Source: Censuses[8][9] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
Strakonice is known forfez manufacture that dates back to the 19th century, and it has established itself as a small arms and motorbike manufacturing hub. Along withČeské Budějovice,Tábor, andPísek, Strakonice is considered one of the main industrial centres of South Bohemia.[7]
Strakonice is also known for its brewery called Dudák – Měšťanský pivovar Strakonice (lit. 'burghers' brewery Strakonice'), located near the castle. It produces beer under theStrakonický Dudák brand. The brewery is owned by the municipality, making it the last one of its kind in the Czech Republic.[10] The beer brewing tradition in Strakonice dates back to 1367 and Burghers' Brewery was founded in 1649.[11]
.jpg)
Two main roads pass through Strakonice: the I/4 road, which connects theD4 motorway with the Czech-German border inStrážný, and the I/22 road in the section fromKlatovy toVodňany.
A nationally important railway line fromBrno toPlzeň (viaČeské Budějovice) runs through Strakonice. From Strakonice, railway lines branch off toBeroun,Milevsko,Blatná andVolary.[12]
Every two years, the town hosts the International Bagpipe Festival. The town'sbagpipe tradition goes back to the work ofJosef Kajetán TylStrakonický dudák ("The Bagpiper of Strakonice").[13] The festival has been held since 1967 and is one of the most notable folklore festivals in the world.[14]
The majority of Strakonice's historic buildings were demolished during the 20th century.[15] The Strakonice Castle is its principal landmark and is protected as anational cultural monument.[16] Today, it serves as a regional museum and art gallery, featuring exhibitions focusing on motorcycles, small arms, bagpipes, and the traditional fez hat production. The Rumpál Tower serves as a lookout.[17] The Church of Saint Procopius, which is part of the castle complex, was originally aRomanesque building, later rebuilt in theBaroque style with Rococo elements.[18]
The Church of Saint Margaret was built in 1580–1583 in the lateGothic style with manyRenaissance elements. Baroque modifications were incorporated in 1777. It is one of the town centre's main landmarks.[19]
The Church of Saint Wenceslaus was originally a medieval Gothic church, founded in the 14th century. It was rebuilt in the Baroque style in 1720–1730 and serves as a cemetery church.[20]
The Church of the Virgin Mary is a pilgrimage site located inPřední Ptákovice [cs]. It was built in 1771–1774, when it replaced a chapel that dated back to 1749.[21]
_(1).jpg)
%2c_Strakonice.jpg)
.jpg)
Strakonice istwinned with:[22]
Bad Salzungen, Germany
Calderdale, England, United Kingdom
Lengnau, SwitzerlandStrakonice also has friendly relations withRawicz in Poland.[22]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
